Banks tighten gates
Re: "Baffling bank rules", (PostBag, Dec 6). Shane's frustration with the difficulties of opening a bank account as a foreigner is understandable.
As far as I know, there is no law forbidding foreigners from opening new bank accounts. It is entirely at the bank's discretion.
What led to the stiff measures was the reported arrest of several bank officials in May at a bank in Pattaya for aiding scammers to open accounts to receive and divert fraudulent money.
Immediately after this incident, most of the banks found themselves in hot water.
They started to clean up their own houses while tightening the acceptance of new foreigners' accounts. There are reported crackdowns on suspicious accounts owned by foreigners.
Right now, campaigns to shut down scammers nationwide are a hot topic; naturally, banks are more cautious than ever in screening new bank account applications.
In the meantime, Shane may have to wait for the big banks until the report on scammers' cases fades from the headlines, or try to contact smaller private banks looking for depositors.
The latter may welcome Shane with an olive branch.
Yingwai Suchaovanich
Rules without reason
Re: "Baffling bank rules", (PostBag, Oct 6).
In response to Shane's encounter with local bank "rules", let me put in my two baht's worth.
So, every bank wants to see official evidence, such as your ID card, when you attempt to do some kind of transaction.
This bank branch, which I will not name, but relates to a certain large city, will not accept my Thai driver's licence or pink Thai ID.
Apparently, these government-issued docs do not meet their standards of "ID". It is a passport or nothing.
Then they turn around and photostat my current visa page. Since when does "ID" mean visa and not my picture page?
Does this branch work for immigration?
Other branches of this bank, and others, will happily accept my driver's licence.
So you are not alone, and I agree, banks here need to come out of the stone age.
Dissatisfied customer
Revise the warning
As a British citizen due to travel to Koh Chang with my 79-year-old parent this Christmas, I am appealing for attention to the UK's ongoing "all but essential travel" advisory for Trat province.
This blanket warning prevents UK travellers from obtaining insurance, even though Koh Chang is a peaceful tourist island far from risk zones.
Many British visitors are now cancelling their trips. We hope the authorities urgently reconsider this outdated advisory.
Martin Ford
